YOUCAT is short for Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, which was launched on World Youth Day, 2011. Developed with the help of young Catholics and written for high-school age people and young adults, YOUCAT is an accessible, contemporary expression of the Catholic Faith. The appealing graphic format includes Questions-and-Answers, highly-readable commentary, summary definitions of key terms, Bible citations and inspiring and thought-provoking quotes from Saints and others in the margins. What's more, YOUCAT is keyed to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, so people can go deeper. It explains:
- What Catholics believe and why (doctrine)
- How Catholics celebrate the mysteries of the faith (sacraments)
- How Catholics are to live (moral life)
- How they should pray (prayer and spirituality)
"YOUCAT combines sound catechesis and faith formation, based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, with a youthful, dynamic and graphically appealing presentation. I hope that this book and related resources will become tools to assist you and your pastoral collaborators in promoting the New Evangelization and a deepened catechesis among young people."
-Archbishop José Gómez, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
"This book was developed by a common effort and it should create and foster community. A community that is not merely a congenial get-together but intends to be a community of faith, needs a common basis. YouCat can and should be a help in this regard."
-Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, editor of YOUCAT
"I will admit to a certain skepticism when the Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church was announced, but my dubieties have given way to enthusiasm. The Q&A of a classic catechism is complemented here by deftly chosen, brief selections from Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, great saints, and noble human spirits of many cultures. Good for the "young" from, say, 18 to 85 or so."
-George Weigel, "Books for Christmas" in First Things
"Compiled in an easy-to-use, intuitive format yet unashamedly bold in its proclamation of Truth, the new YOUCAT is a must-have for young and old alike. There has never been a Catechism quite like this one. It is perfect for anyone seeking to understand and explain the richness of our Catholic faith to today's modern culture!"
- Jimmy Mitchell, President, Mysterium Records